Review of Kiss of the Dragon (2001) by Karen G — 14 Sep 2007

Uneven and raw.

I like the movie on a simple physical level. There is no deeper meaning and no higher skill involved; just professional action, well-staged and filmed with a certain stylistic elegance.

The fight sequences are tough and quite brutal, and the over-the-top finale is arguably worth the price of admission, wherein an implacable Li takes on the entire Paris Police Bureau, working his way up toward police chief Tchéky Karyo's office through cops, a pair of peroxide-blond twin henchmen, and a whole class of kung fu cadets.

Director Chris Nolan might have pushed further the strangers-in-a-strange-land camaraderie between Li and Fonda and ke.